11/01/2007

Breaking Earth NewsGENEVA - The La Nina weather phenomenon blamed for drought in the southern United States and flooding in Africa will last for another five months, the U.N. weather agency said Wednesday.

The tropical wind patterns currently seen across the central and eastern Pacific, with sea temperatures up to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) cooler than normal, appear to be an average La Nina event, an official with the World Meteorological Organization said.

"These conditions can cause unusual and sometimes severe weather events ... in the immediate area of the Pacific basin but also around the world," said Leslie Malone, a scientific officer with WMO.